I named my red dress “Open-Hearted,” hoping to inspire people to approach life and health with passion and an open heart.

The exterior design is a simple yet elegant red carpet dress, suitable for almost any social gathering. The interior incorporates an abstract heart painting on silk that I designed two years ago. I painted it entirely freehand with no rough preliminary sketch, because I wanted to express myself through warm, vibrant watercolors without knowing how the picture would evolve.

My intention was to give women the confidence to express themselves and live with passion, while maintaining ties to the central theme of combating heart disease. In this regard, I was careful to focus on elegance and femininity in the design so that the message can be expressed with both clarity and beauty.

The warm shade of red also goes well beyond symbolizing the heart. It exemplifies courage and the power of self-determination. In Eastern cultures, red can symbolize both good luck and purity. In most cultures, it also is the color most associated with passion.

In creating greater awareness of heart disease in women, my fondest wish is that the wearer of this dress will feel purer of heart both metaphorically and literally. This dress is beautiful enough to be worn anywhere, while still subtly conveying the important marriage of design and heart health for all women.